Regular readers know I’m a fan of lumpy mailers. They’re powerful self-promotion tools – the kind of tactic that invariably finds your pitch on the desk of decision makers.
Of course, they’re not just a short-run tool used for self promotion. They’re also a damned effective direct mail tool.
And yes, as email and other ecommunications take the place of physical mail, I can make a cogent argument that the perceived value of dimensional mail is climbing, not diminishing.
Direct Mail magazine published a roundtable discussion of “dimensional mail” in a recent Technique article, and yes, I get all tingly when I see intelligent thought directed at one of marketing’s most-overlooked techniques.
Simply put, it’s worth a couple minutes of your time. To whet your appetite, here are a few excerpts:
What you’ve created is that moment where it’s just your target and your offer. And if your present is something they can play with for a moment, that’s good. If it’s something they show to their neighbor, even better. If it’s something they keep and use often, that’s great. And when they respond, you hit the jackpot.
“So the next time your creative department comes to you with the choice of another No. 10 letter for $1.25 per piece, or a box — that present — that rattles full of opportunity and costs $5 more, don’t dismiss it — not if your goal is to get your message into your customers’ hands.”
-John Brogan, Executive creative director, Catalyst Direct Inc.
“Dimensional print offers an even more potent marketing alternative than just any piece of direct mail. Viewed from virtually any angle, dimensional mail is a best-of-breed hybrid.”
-Mary Bittel, Manager of marketing& communications, American Slide Chart
Intrigued? Read the whole article here.
At the very least, dimensional (or lumpy) mailers are another tool in your copywriter’s toolbox – a truly effective one that few new copywriters understand.
Keep writing, Tom Chandler.
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Ohh, lumpy mail. I’m all tingly. And if your client has the budget and the vision, move from small-time lumpy to big-time box.
Roberta Rosenberg: The Bigger Lumpy Mailer Maven.
Nah, it doesn’t quite sing…
“Lumpy mailers” are one advantage over electronic info. I’m also fond of print materials that give a three-dimensional message, where the way the piece looks, opens or feels, reflects an important element of the goods or service. It’s a creative challenge to come up with, and then fun to write for. Pieces like this do get kept, shown, passed around and referred to. One of my clients reports that his marketing piece I prepared in this way has been a huge boost of morale to his sales team. When they are proud to show a prospect an intriguing leave-behind, the sales call is much easier.